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The 56th season of the modern CFL kicks off on Thursday in Winnipeg when the Bombers host the Montreal Alouettes at Investors Group Field. It is the league’s first new stadium since Toronto’s SkyDome opened in 1989.

It is the first of 72 regular-season games that will be played over four months before giving way to the playoffs that will culminate with the Grey Cup in Regina on Nov. 24.

That’s quite a ways from now, so in the meantime, here are 20 things about this CFL season that you absolutely, positively need to be aware of before the campaign kicks off:

1. Party Central

The Celebration in Rider Nation will be a dandy, just as Grey Cups always are on the Prairies. Regina will host the 101st CFL championship at Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 24, and the Roughriders will be looking to become the third consecutive team to win on their home turf. If that happens, look out. Saskatchewan will be shut down until the New Year.

2. Big shoes to fill

Dan Hawkins is the new head coach in Montreal, where he will attempt to fill the gargantuan shoes of new Chicago Bears boss Marc Trestman. Hawkins has an outgoing personality and comes from the U.S. college system, whereas Trestman kept everything close to the vest after spending most of his career in the NFL. Will Hawkins be able to win as much as Trestman? That’s a tall order.

3. Simon says

It wasn’t exactly like Gretzky getting traded to L.A., but the CFL’s career receiving yards leader, Geroy Simon, was shipped to Saskatchewan for a no-name receiver and a draft pick when it became clear he didn’t want a reduced role with the B.C. Lions this year. Simon can still play the game at a high level, but his health at age 37 is a question mark.

4. Grand opening

It is opening a year later than anticipated, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will finally get to grace the intimate Investors Group Field. The $200-million park was plagued by delays for a variety of reasons — the wind, believe it or not, was a culprit — but it will be well worth the wait when it opens on Thursday night.

5. Coming home

A couple of familiar faces are back in the CFL and ready to re-establish themselves as elite players north of the border. Saskatchewan defensive end John Chick left for the NFL in 2010, while B.C. receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux did the same a year later. Both returned to their former teams this year, and big things will be expected.

6. Double Blue times two?

Can the Toronto Argonauts repeat as Grey Cup champs? History says probably not, as only two franchises (Montreal in 2010 and Toronto in 1997) have turned the trick since Edmonton won five in a row between 1978 and 1982. If anybody can do it, though, it’s Boatmen quarterback Ricky Ray, who would become the winningest quarterback in Grey Cup history — with four wins as a starter — if he can pull off the rare feat.

7. Pivot-al question

There is only one new starting quarterback in the CFL this season. Mike Reilly had been Travis Lulay’s backup in B.C., but Eskimos general manager Ed Hervey made a bold move in acquiring Reilly’s rights two weeks before free agency began and getting his name on a contract immediately. Reilly officially got the No. 1 job when Matt Nichols tore his ACL in Edmonton’s first pre-season game.

8. Surprise, surprise

Who is this year’s Chris Matthews? The Bombers receiver exploded on to the scene last season with nearly 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns in 2012, so who is that next no-name who will soon be seeing his name in lights? Hamilton kick returner Lindsey Lamar had a spectacular pre-season with two returns for touchdowns, Edmonton receiver Isaiah Sweeney is turning heads, Montreal draft pick Mike Edem won the team’s starting safety spot, and B.C. defensive back Cord Parks looks to be a keeper for the Leos.

9. When will injury bug bite?

Is it just me, or is Drew Tate becoming the Buck Pierce of the West Division? The Calgary Stampeders quarterback has been plagued by the injury bug a lot lately, and it caused him to miss most of last season in Cowtown. Luckily for the Red and White, veteran Kevin Glenn was the backup and he guided them all the way to the Grey Cup. A close friend of Glenn’s told me last year there was no way Glenn would be Calgary’s backup again this year, but that’s what he is. There’s a good chance that could change, though.

10. Home sweet homeless

The Tiger-Cats will play their home games this season in Guelph, Ont., which is 50 kilometres north of Hamilton, while their new park is being built on the old Ivor Wynne Stadium site in Steeltown. The Tabbies are downplaying the situation, naturally, but it will be an obstacle for the homeless squad to overcome if they’re going to get back to the playoffs.

11. Oldie but a goodie

Three years ago, Anthony Calvillo had the league’s best quarterback efficiency rating at an impressive 108.1. Two years ago, he led the league with 5,251 passing yards. Last year, he topped the 5,000-yard passing mark for the seventh time in his illustrious career. So yes, the old guy’s still got it, and if you’re a CFL fan you should make sure to watch the Alouettes quarterback play because the end of his career is near and he will go down as one of the best pivots to ever play north of the border. Watch him.

12. The mouth that roared

You never know what’s going to come out of Khalif Mitchell’s mouth or his Twitter feed, and you’re not too sure what the defensive tackle is going to do on the field, either. In other words, the Argos defensive tackle could very well be a story all season long in Toronto. At first, Mitchell wasn’t going to report to the Argos, who acquired him in a trade with the Lions, but he relented and had a good camp by all accounts. Just wait, though. Something will happen.

13. Buck the trend?

There are several constants in Winnipeg: Mosquitoes in the summer, freezing cold in the winter and Buck Pierce getting hurt during football season. All eyes will be on the Bombers quarterback this season after the team has decided to throw all its eggs in his basket once again, even though he is the most oft-injured CFL starter. He can stay healthy, though, as he started 16 games in 2011 and guided the Blue and Gold to the Grey Cup game.

14. Tall order

The last time Kent Austin was in the CFL, it was 2007 and he was guiding the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a Grey Cup championship. Now, following five seasons in the NCAA, he’s back as general manager and head coach of the Tiger-Cats. He is viewed as a football god in Saskatchewan for the work he did six seasons ago, but he’ll have to be even better than that if the Tabbies are going to go from 6-12 to Grey Cup champs.

15. Chad to the bone

It’ll be interesting to see what Chad Owens does for an encore and if he has any gas left in the tank after his ridiculously busy 2012 campaign. Owens set a CFL record with 3,863 combined yards, which included a league-leading 1,328 through the air, and he was named the loop’s most outstanding player as a result. He even had enough energy to make his mixed martial arts debut in his native Hawaii in April. Is there anything he can’t do?

16. Who’s best in the West?

Who’s better: Calgary’s Jon Cornish or B.C.’s Andrew Harris? The two Canadian tailbacks are both excellent, and all eyes will be on them once again in the West Division. One gets the feeling they’re not exactly best friends away from the football field, which just adds a dimension to the rivalry that is already rich with stunning runs, catches out of the backfield and the fact they both play for contending teams year in and year out.

17. Hope on the East Coast

The CFL is going back to New Brunswick to play a regular-season game for the third time in four years, keeping hope alive that a 10th team might one day be added to the fold. Hamilton will host Montreal in the third Touchdown Atlantic in Moncton. It worked out well because the Ticats didn’t have a home this season anyway.

It’s always an unpleasant part of pro sports, but some coaches and managers are on the hot seat going into the 2013 season. Bombers GM Joe Mack needs to win at brand new Investors Group Field to keep the Blue and Gold fans believing, while Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed could be in trouble if Edmonton starts slowly. Everyone else is solidified in their spots. Then again, an 0-5 start can crumble a foundation anywhere.

20. Waiting in the wings

Make sure to keep a close eye on the non-import talent this season, because you know the teams will be doing just that with the Ottawa expansion draft looming in December. The reDbLaCkS will select three players from each of the eight teams, and two of those three will be non-imports. Each team can protect six non-imports off the start, so at least one Canadian starter from each team will be exposed. Something to think about as the season rolls along.

20 things you must know about the 2013 CFL season

The 56th season of the modern CFL kicks off on Thursday in Winnipeg when the Bombers host the Montreal Alouettes at Investors Group Field. It is the league’s first new stadium since Toronto’s SkyDome opened in 1989.